TAMPA - The Bucs have been on the lookout for someone to push Donald Penn for the starting left tackle job and they may have found him.

Fred Miller, a durable 12-year veteran who has spent his last three seasons with the Chicago Bears, spent part of Tuesday working out for the Bucs at One Buc Place.

The Bucs interest in Miller comes in the wake of their decision to let go of veteran Luke Petitgout. Petitgout was struggling to recover from a knee injury and a lingering back problem and had also earned a four-game suspension from the league for violating its steroids policy at the time of his release.

The Bucs considered the loss of Pettigout to be significant because it left Penn with only Anthony Davis to push him for the starting left tackle job. Now Miller may be in the picture.

Miller is also contemplating re-signing with the Bears and at least one other team, according to his agent, Harold Lewis. He was impressed with the Bucs facility, however, and could make a decision on where to play as soon as today.

Miller has missed just three starts since the 1998 season and he has helped pave the way for a 1,000-yard rusher in seven of his last nine seasons. He was part of a Bears line that allowed just 25 sacks in 2006 and his 164 NFL starts include 12 in the postseason.